The citywide Historic Context Statement is a critical part of SurveyLA as it provides the framework for identifying and evaluating historic resources.

SurveyLA field surveys are in progress and the Office of Historic Resources (OHR) needs your help identifying important potential historic resources in your community. You know your community best. Whether it is the story of a single property or your entire neighborhood, the OHR needs this information to help guide historic preservation professionals as they conduct the field surveys. Some surveys have already been completed but it's never too late or too early to give us infomation.

Resources can include individual houses, buildings, sites, structures, objects, cultural landscapes and natural features as well as areas and historic districts (groupings of resources). These places may reflect a broad range of themes significant in the city’s history such as architecture, city planning, landscape design, ethnic heritage, residential development, politics, industry, transportation, commerce, entertainment and others. Examples of individual historic resources include theaters, religious buildings, social halls, canals and bridges while examples of historic districts, include residential neighborhoods, commercial centers, industrial complexes and college campuses. The citywide survey will consider all properties dating from about 1865 to 1980.

How will this information be used?

The public responses we recieve will provide valuable background information for the survey teams, which use this material during their fieldwork to identify and evaluate potential resourcs according to local, state and federal criteria for evaluation.

Please note: the properties identified through the Historic Resource Identification Form will not be officially designated as "historic," nor will they be automatically considered for historic designation. To obtain official local historic designation for a property, you may wish to submit a formal nomination for City Historic-Cultural Monument status.

How should I decide what to identify?

In considering which resources(s) to identify, think about the following questions:

What are the neighborhoods, commercial areas, and landscapes that have distinctive architectural, design or cultural characteristics, or reflect important aspects of social history or community planning and development? What are the qualities of these places that make them important?

What areas, sites, or buildings served as key gathering places or focal points of your community over the years?

Which places were associated with the most important individuals, groups or organizations that shaped your community’s history?

Which buildings, structures and districts may have been associated with important architects, builders, designers, developers, or engineers whose work helped define the character of your area?

Which places shaped social movements and the cultural evolution of your community?

Which places are unique to your community and which reflect larger trends in the development history of Los Angeles?

Which places provide a key window into understanding the demographic changes that your community experienced over the years?